Caught in a Whirlwind
by lilxjames
Summary: Post 7x10. After Nathan fired him, Clay ended his relationship with Quinn, packed his bags and left. 2 years later, he's back, but fitting in everyone's life again wasn't going to be easy, especially once life changing secrets are revealed- Clay/Quinn
1. And it all comes crashing down

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or any of its character**

**A/N:** The story starts 20 months after 7x10, in which Nathan fires clay (7x11 & 7x12 do not exist). The past events will be shown through flashbacks, and there will be a lot of them in the first couple of chapters. So even if some things don't make sense now (which some might not), I promise everything will become clear once we are a chapter or two into the story. With that said, enjoy =) [Longer A/N at the end…please READ]

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**Chapter 1**:** And it all comes crashing down**

"Ryan, can you please come out of your hiding place?" Quinn shouted as she ran around the house trying to find the mischievous toddler, "Come on baby, mommy is getting tired."

"Finally feeling your age?" Nathan asked teasingly as he walked into the kitchen having heard the last of Quinn's rant.

"Very funny," Quinn said rolling her eyes, looking under the dining table to see whether her son was hiding there or not, "And you try running after him all day, then we'll talk."

"Been there, done that," Nathan said smirking, "You don't think Jamie was born an angel do you? He was just as hyper, if not more, as Ryan. He kept Haley and I on our toes all the time."

"Did you just say Haley and I? After 10 years of being your tutor, my grammar is finally rubbing off on you," Haley said grinning as she came to stand next to her husband.

"It was going to happen sooner or later," Nathan laughed wrapping his arms around Haley.

"So the little monster's gone missing again?" Haley asked looking as Quinn's disheveled state.

"Yes," Quinn groaned in frustration, "Ever since he has learned to crawl I haven't had a moment of peace in my life."

"Ah, I remember when Jamie was at that age. Those were some of the most worrisome days of my life. All I wanted to do was tie him in his high chair, but he would have none of it," Haley said smiling fondly at the memory.

"Yeah, I remember when we tried doing that in the middle of the night one day, I swear that kid screamed so loudly that he woke up the entire building. Lucas swears he has never been able to hear properly after that incident," Nathan agreed.

"Well looks like you guys are approaching that phase all over again, soon you'll be running around the place after Nat," Quinn said distractedly.

"I am trying not to think of that day. Nat is at her best stage at the moment, she's finally sleeping all night, she smiles all the time unless she's upset of course, and most importantly, she loves me more than Haley. I am in no hurry to move past this stage," Nathan said seriously.

"Nathan Scott, Natalie does not love you more than me," Haley gasped, turning indignantly towards her husband.

"She totally does Hales. I am the only person who can calm her down no matter how upset she is, and she smiles at me all the time," Nathan said smugly.

"That's only because you're always playing with her and making stupid faces at her that she finds amusing for some stupid reason. And anyways she's supposed to love me more, I gave birth to her," Haley said narrowing her eyes as if waiting for Nathan to contradict her.

"Oh please, not the birth card. You know she loves me more, you're just making excuses," Nathan smirked. He knew he was pushing his luck, but seeing Haley all aggravated like that still gave him a thrill.

"Quinn, back me up here. Nat loves me more right?" Haley demanded of her sister who had now moved to the living room searching for her ever missing son.

"Haley Nat is two months old, you really can't judge who she likes more at the moment," Quinn said shaking her, "But…if I did have to pick one, I would say she loves Nathan more."

"Quinn!" Haley said looking appalled.

"Hah, there you go," Nathan said smiling victoriously, "Even Quinn admits it."

"I am sorry Hales, but she is the most content around Nathan," Quinn said shrugging.

"This is so unfair," Haley said pouting, "I carried her for nine months, I went through 10 hours of painful labor, and now my daughter loves her dad more, and he didn't even do anything."

"Hey, you nearly broke my hand while giving birth," Nathan protested.

"Oh wow, what a tragedy," Haley said sarcastically.

"It is. If you broke my hand, my career is the NBA would be over," Nathan said dramatically.

"Yeah for like 3 months," Haley said moodily.

"Oh come on Hales, don't be like that. I was just messing with you. Nat loves both of us equally," Nathan said trying to calm her down.

"No, she doesn't. She _does_ love you more. Everyone can see that," Haley said clearly upset.

"It's just natural," Quinn said coming back in the kitchen, "Girls are always closer to their dads. Remember how you, Viv, Taylor and I would always take dad's side over mom? She used to get so upset about it."

"Yeah, I remember," Haley said smiling slightly, "I guess it's okay if she loves you a little bit more, as long as she doesn't start hating me." The statement was meant as a joke, but Nathan could hear her fear beneath it.

"Haley, I don't think there is anyone in this world who can hate you. Least of all your children. They love your more than anything else in the world, and so do I, so don't ever think like that," Nathan admonished.

"I am sorry, I am sorry," Haley sighed, "My hormones are still all over the place, I really didn't mean that."

"Well as long as you're okay, it's all good," Nathan said kissing her softly.

Before Haley could reply, they heard Jamie shout from his room, "Hey dad, can you come up here a second?"

"Coming," Nathan replied, and giving Haley's arm a slight squeeze, he turned around and walked out of the kitchen.

"I can't find him anywhere," Quinn said in a panicked as she walked back into the kitchen after checking the backyard for any sign of Ryan, "I am a terrible, terrible mother. I have lost my son, oh my god, I have seriously lost him."

"Quinn calm down, he's got to be here somewhere. All the doors have security alarms on them, and you know how creative Ryan can get with his hiding spots," Haley said trying to soothe her completely frazzled sister.

"Haley I have looked everywhere. Under the bed, in the bathroom, under the swing set, in your cabinets, everywhere, he's..."

"Right here," Nathan said walking back into the kitchen, with a giggling Ryan in his arms.

"Ryan, oh thank god," Quinn said quickly taking her son from Nathan's arms and hugging him close to her chest, "You scared mommy, baby."

"Where was he?" Haley asked.

"In Jamie's room," Nathan replied as Quinn's eyes snapped back to him.

"Jamie's room? But I just asked him if he saw Ryan and he said he didn't," Quinn said confused.

"Jamie found him under the coffee table, and took him to his room without telling you to play with your head a little," Nathan said grinning as Jamie walked into the kitchen looking sheepish.

"James Lucas Scott, why would you do that to your favorite aunt?" Quinn questioned playfully, a lot calmer now that she had her son in her arms.

"I didn't want to ruin his game. He looked like he was having so much fun," Jamie said innocently.

"Yeah, a lot of fun scaring his mother to death," Quinn said mock glaring at the innocent face of her son.

"Well he's safe and healthy, so no harm done, right?" Jamie asked hopefully looking from Quinn to his mom.

"I'll let you get away with it this time, young man. Next time, don't scare your aunt like that," Haley said.

"I won't, I promise Aunt Quinn," Jamie said nodding, "Thanks mom." And with a quick hug to his mom, he was gone.

"Well I am going to upstairs and take a shower," Nathan announced getting up, "But feel free to join me anytime, Hales."

"Oh ew. There's a baby in the room," Quinn said looking disgusted as Nathan laughed.

"Well how do you think he got here?" Nathan asked jokingly, but immediately regretted his words as Quinn's face fell, "Shoot, I am sorry Quinn, that was insensitive."

"No, no, it wasn't. You didn't say anything wrong, don't worry about it," Quinn said, avoiding eye contact with both her sister and brother-in-law.

Nodding, Nathan quickly turned around and walked away.

"Quinn," Haley said once Nathan was gone.

"Don't Haley. It's okay, seriously. I am over what happened, it was my fault anyways," Quinn said shaking her head as she absentmindedly ran her hand through Ryan's hair.

Looking down, she was reminded once again just how much he looked like his father's. . His hair, eyes, face structure, mannerisms, everything, he was a carbon copy of his dad. And that was what made everything so difficult. She wanted so badly to forget him but the constant presence of Ryan ensured that he would always be a huge part of her whether she wanted it or not.

"Quinn, Quinn, you in there?" Haley asked waving her hand in front of her sister's face who seemed to be in some sort of a daze.

"What? Oh yeah, I am here. Just got lost in some thoughts," Quinn said coming back to reality.

"So, do you have any plans for today?" Haley asked as Quinn placed Ryan in his high chair and poured him some lucky charms cereal.

"Yeah, I am planning to take Ryan to the beach today. We haven't been there in a while, and the weather today just screams 'beach'", Quinn said.

"Teetch?" Ryan asked looking up a huge smile on his face.

"Yes, beach," Quinn said laughing as a look of complete excitement filled Ryan's face.

"Someone's a big fan of the beach," Haley noted as she saw Ryan struggling to get out of his high chair.

"Ryan, we'll go to the beach when you finish your cereal. So you can struggle all you want but we're not leaving unless you're done eating," Quinn said sternly.

"You're talking to him as if he understands what you're saying," Haley said teasingly as Ryan continued struggling. "You might as well take him out of the high chair, and take the cereal to go. He's not going to stop struggling."

"I shouldn't have said the word beach around him, seriously it's like taboo," Quinn said giving in as she freed Ryan from the high chair.

"Teetch," Ryan said giggling clapping his small hands together.

"Yes, we're going to the beach," Quinn said shaking her head, a small smile on her face.

"Wait Quinn, is that his first word? I don't think I have heard him say anything so real sounding before," Haley asked interestedly.

"No, it isn't," Quinn answered shortly, and before Haley could ask any more questions, she got up and walked out of the kitchen.

--

5 minutes later, Quinn and Ryan appeared again, this time completely ready for their outing.

"Aww, my godson looks so cute," Haley said, coming over and giving Ryan a kiss.

"Yeah, that's the one thing he is good that," Quinn said laughing, "Anyways, we'll be back by dark."

"Alright, have fun," Haley said walking them to the door.

"Ta ta," Ryan said as he waved and gave Haley a flying kiss.

"Oh aren't you just a charmer," Quinn said as she strapped him to his car seat and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead.

"See you in a couple hours," Quinn said to Haley, and with that she got into the car and drove away.

"Like father like son," Haley muttered shaking her head sadly.

--

She had just walked back inside the house, when a knock stopped her in her tracks.

Wondering who could be calling in the middle of the afternoon, Haley turned around towards the door, and quickly opened it. However, the person on the other side caused her to blink in surprise. Surely she was imagining him here, she hadn't seen him in almost 2 years and all of a sudden he was there standing on their doorsteps.

"Hey Haley," the guy greeted, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Clay, what are you doing here?" Haley asked once the shock had worn off a little, and she was sure she was not hallucinating him there.

"Well nice to see you too," Clay said smiling slightly.

"I am sorry, that was so rude of me. Come on in. You just took me by surprise, you were the last person I was expecting to see—"

"Haley, who is it?" Nathan asked coming downstairs. When he noticed Clay, his face broke into a smile, "You came."

"I came. I don't think I could have refused an offer like that," Clay said seriously.

"What offer?" Haley asked curiously, "Nathan, were you expecting him to show up."

"Yes and no," Nathan said as he led them to the living room, "I was hoping he would show up, but I wasn't sure. That's why I didn't mention anything to you Haley."

"What? What are you talking about?" Haley asked beyond confused.

"Nathan offered me a deal to become his agent again, he has been after me for the past six months, it was only a matter of time before I cracked," Clay explained.

"You and Nathan have been in touch for the past six months?" Haley asked shocked, "How did you know where he was?"

"I ran into him in a bar in Charlotte, and I haven't left him alone ever since," Nathan answered, "So have you thought about my offer? I know you've been dealing with independent clients for the past year and a half but this is a great opportunity—"

"I know it is a great opportunity. That's why I am here. But I have a question," Clay said looking straight at Nathan.

"What is it?" Nathan asked curiously.

"Why are you doing this for me? You didn't seem to give a damn what happened to me or my career before I left, so why now?" Clay asked bluntly.

"Because I was an idiot. I was angry that you screwed up my deal, and at that time I just wanted you gone. But when I found out what you had done for me—"

"So this is just some sort of a repayment for what I did?" Clay asked.

"To a certain extent, yes, but mostly it's an apology. You messed up, but everyone makes mistakes, and I shouldn't have ended you career because of that. It was selfish and I am sorry. But by the time I realized that, you had already left, and when I found out what you had done for me, I felt so guilty that I tried hunting you down, but it was like you had vanished," Nathan explained.

"Yeah, I was lying low for a while," Clay admitted, not wanting to go into more detail about the dark days that had followed his dismissal from ISC, "Anyways, I have thought a lot about your proposal, and if Ken is willing to negotiate the deal, then consider in done."

"Seriously?" Nathan asked grinning.

"Seriously," Clay said smiling slightly, "I'd be an idiot not to take the deal."

"You won't regret it, I promise. And believe it or not, Ken is very excited to have you on board again. According to his secretary he missed having you around."

"Kinda disturbing, but hey if it gets me the job then he can miss me all he wants," Clay joked.

"Okay, I really don't appreciate being this uninformed. What the hell is going on?" Haled asked.

But before Nathan could answer, Natalie stated crying from upstairs, her voice echoing loud and clear from the baby monitor placed nearby.

"I have to go see her, but this conversation isn't over," Haley said looking at Nathan as she got up.

"Oh yeah I heard you guys had a baby girl," Clay said, "Congratulations."

"Thanks, her name is Natalie, and she will bring down the house if I don't go check on her," Haley said laughing as she turned around and quickly walked out of the living room. Soon, the two men heard the baby monitor shut down, indicating that Haley has gotten the situation under control.

"How does it feel like to be a dad again?" Clay asked after a couple minutes.

"Honestly, it feels amazing. Last time I became a dad, I was 17, so 25 is definitely an improvement," Nathan said laughing, "But it's great. She's so amazing Clay, she makes everything worthwhile."

"You're a great dad, Nate, Your kids are lucky to have you and Haley as their parents," Clay said sincerely.

"Thanks," Nathan said quietly, "So it looks like you're my agent again."

"Looks like it," Clay nodded.

"So you're moving to Tree Hill? Or are you planning to stay in Charlotte?" Nathan asked.

"Nah, I am moving back here. I talked to Ken on the phone yesterday, and he is willing to give me back my office back and everything," Clay said, "Plus, this place has felt more like home to me than any other place I have been in ever since Sa—a long time."

"Well it's good to have you back," Nathan said sincerely, "I know things aren't ideal between us, but I am sorry for what happened, and I hope we can work things out again."

"You aren't the only one at blame Nathan. We both made mistakes, we both acted rashly. But like I told you that night on the rivercourt, you were the best friend I had, and while we might not be at that point right now, I am pretty sure we'll get there again," Clay said quietly.

"Yeah," Nathan nodded, then deciding they had shared enough feelings for one day, changed the subject, "So do you know where you're staying?"

"My beach house is still empty, so I am going to go back to living there. I sent in my furniture yesterday, so it should be all set by the time I get there," Clay said.

"Well if you need anything else, we're here for you," Nathan said.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks," Clay said, "But I really should get going, I have a lot of things to do before I start work on Monday."

"Alright, I'll see you later then," Nathan said getting up.

"Yeah, definitely," Clay said opening the door and walking out, "I'll call you if something comes up, but the dealings look pretty final, so I am pretty sure we don't have much to worry about."

"I hope so," Nathan said as Clay got in his car, and with a final wave, he drove away.

--

**30 minutes later**

"He left?" Haley asked as she came downstairs with a gurgling Natalie in her arms.

"Yeah, about ½ an hour ago," Nathan said as he immediately took his daughter from Haley's hands.

"So he's back in Tree Hill for good?" Haley asked nervously, sitting next to Nathan on the couch.

"Yeah, Ken's agreed to give him back his old office back and—holy crap he's moving to Tree Hill," Nathan's eyes widened as if something had just dawned on him.

"What are we going to tell Quinn?" Haley asked anxiously.

"I have a feeling that he will get to Quinn before us," Nathan said with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"What do you mean?" Haley asked urgently.

"You said that Quinn was at the beach right?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah," Haley nodded.

"Clay's moving into his old beach house," Nathan said quietly, and by the small gasp Haley emitted, he knew that she understood the situation.

--

Quinn was standing on the beach staring at the endless ocean in front of her, while Ryan played with his sand toys a few feet ahead of her. This beach held so many memories for her, both good and bad, and she didn't know which ones were more overwhelming. She had had heart fixed and broken here by the same man here, and no matter how hard she tried to escape it, _he_ was everywhere. This beach was their "spot", for those 2 blissful weeks, this place was their haven, but that happiness was short lived.

Unconsciously, her eyes drifted to the place where everything fell apart.

-_Flashback-_

"_You're very quiet tonight," Quinn observed as she ran her finger through Clay's hair while he lay on her lap. _

"_Just thinking," Clay muttered quietly._

"_Anything important?" Quinn asked gently._

"_Just my miserable life," Clay said bluntly._

"_Clay—"_

"_No, Quinn, don't. You know as well as I do, that I am in hell right now. Your words aren't going to change the way I feel," Clay snapped._

"_I was just trying to help," Quinn said softly._

"_Well don't. I don't need your help. I brought this upon myself. I got careless, I deserve this," Clay said miserably._

"_You don't deserve this Clay, nobody does. You made a mistake, it happens. It's not fair that you have to pay such a big price for it," Quinn said stubbornly._

"_Nothing in my life has ever been fair, I am kind of used to it by now," Clay said bitterly._

"_There has to be some way out of this situation," Quinn said desperately._

"_There is," Clay said quietly after a couple of minutes._

"_What is it?" Quinn asked eagerly._

"_I have been thinking about it for a while, and I think this will be the best way to go- for both of us," Clay said softly._

"_Both of us?" Quinn asked confused._

"_Yes, both of us," Clay said taking a deep breath, "Quinn, I think we should stop seeing each other."_

"_What?" Quinn asked shocked, "Where is this coming from?"_

"_That's the way it should have been in the first place. This, this thing between us should have never happened. Nathan told me to stay away from you, and I should have respected his wishes. Ending this relationship, or whatever you want to call it, before it escalates, will be good for both of us," Clay said as he gazed at the dark sea in front of him._

"_You don't know that Clay, you—"_

"_I do know that Quinn," Clay interrupted, "This has affected both of us, I mean you and Haley aren't even speaking to each other anymore."_

"_Clay—"_

"_I need to fix the mess I made, Quinn. I need to prove to Nathan my worth, and somehow get him on the Bobcats again. I need to do this by my. I can't do that with you around," Clay said quietly, hating every word that came out of his mouth._

"_So that's it? This is over? Just like that?" Quinn asked quietly._

"_Just like that," Clay said softly, trying to not let any emotions show._

"_Alright then," Quinn said quickly getting up, she didn't want him to see how much he had hurt her, "I am sorry. For everything."_

"_Quinn, none of this is your fault," Clay said grabbing her hand. She had to understand that he didn't blame her for anything that had happened. She had been the best thing that had happened to him since Sara, and now it was all over. Over before it even started._

"_Somehow it feels like is," Quinn said quietly, and freeing her wrist from Clay's grasp, she turned around and quickly walked away, leaving a miserable Clay behind._

_-End Flashback-_

Shaking her head, Quinn tried to unsuccessfully pry her head away from all the unpleasant thoughts that plagued her every time she looked at that particular spot. She knew she was just hurting herself by continuing to relive those memories, but she couldn't find an escape from them.

Forcing herself to think about happy thoughts, she turned her attention towards her son who was still playing in the sand. He was trying very hard to build a mountain of sand, but every time he reached over to get more sand, the rest of the pile would fall off. Quinn laughed slightly as his sand mountain collapsed once again and was just about to go and help him, when she heard a voice she thought she would never hear again.

"Quinn?"

Spinning around, she felt her eyes grow wide as she realized that it was in fact him standing in front of her. After almost 2 years of silence, he was here, in front of her, without any warning.

"Clay?" Quinn gasped once she could get her mouth to function, "What are you doing here?"

"Taking a stroll on the beach," Clay answered in a 'duh' voice. He knew what she meant, he just felt like playing around with her a bit.

"No, I mean what are you doing in Tree Hill?" Quinn asked rephrasing the question. She snuck a quick glance at Ryan and was glad he was facing away from them.

"I live here, now," Clay answered, wondering how she would react.

"What? Since when?" Quinn asked thunderstruck. Of all the things he could have said this was the last thing she had expected or wanted to hear.

"ISC gave me a deal, they want me to come back, and Nathan wants me as an agent, the offer was pretty awesome, so I accepted it," Clay explained.

"Oh, that's great," Quinn said uncomfortably, sneaking another glance at Ryan.

"Yeah, after the life I have been living for the past 2 years, it is—is there some cute behind you that you keep sneaking glances to? I know it's none of my business, but you seem so distracted. If this is bad timing for you—"

"Yeah it is kind of a bad time. I really have to get going—"

"You're hiding something," Clay said looking at her closely.

"No, I am not," Quinn said quickly.

"Yes, you are. I can tell," Clay said stubbornly.

"Don't pretend like you know me Clay, this is really not the time," Quinn snapped.

"Well then if you're not hiding anything, let me see who you keep glancing towards?" Clay challenged.

"No, that's a bad idea," Quinn said hastily as she stepped in front of Clay. Bad move. Because in trying to prevent Clay from walking forward and see Ryan, she had given him a perfect view of him.

"Were you looking at that kid?" Clay asked confused.

"No, I wasn't. Why would I be looking at that kid?" Quinn asked laughing nervously.

"I don't know. You tell me," Clay said.

"Clay, look please, just drop this. This is not the time or the place. I'll talk to you later—"

"He's your son isn't he?" Clay asked quietly, stopping Quinn in between her rant.

"What?" Quinn asked stunned, as he moved around her and started walking towards where Ryan was sitting playing with his toys, completely oblivious to the world around him.

"He's your son," Clay repeated again, but this time it was more of a statement than a question.

"Clay, you really don't want to do that," Quinn insisted grabbing his arms before he could turn to come face to face with Ryan.

"Why not?" Clay asked confused. "Are you ashamed of him or something? Because I am pretty sure he's a cute kid, I mean look who he has for a mom."

"Clay—"

"I just want to see him," Clay insisted, his interest being peaked at what Quinn was trying to hide, "Come on, its not like one look at him would be the end of the world."

And with that, he gently pried her numb fingers away from his arms, and walked around so that he was face to face with Ryan.

"See, nothing—" However, at that very moment Ryan chose to lift his head up to meet the stranger, and Clay felt his words die in his throat.

"It _is _the end of the world," Quinn whispered as she took in Clay's horrified expression.

"Clay?" Quinn asked after he hadn't said anything for more than two minutes.

"Say it," Clay whispered. His eyes were still fixed on Ryan who was staring at him curiously.

"What?" Quinn asked confused.

"Say it," Clay repeated in a much harsher tone.

"Say what?" Quinn asked desperately, but when he raised his furious eyes to meet hers, she immediately understood what he wanted her to say.

"Clay we can—"

"Just say it god dammit," Clay almost hissed. He knew he looked completely inhumane, but he didn't care. He needed to hear the truth from her, and he needed to hear it now.

Shaking, Quinn took a deep breath, and looking straight into his eyes repeated the words Clay had said only a couple minutes earlier, "He's your son."

And with those 3 words, Clay felt his world crash into pieces all around him.

* * *

**A/N2:** So this has got to be the hardest thing I have ever written. I don't know how I feel about it, but this is an idea that has been in my head for a long time, and I couldn't seem to get rid of it. So I decided to put it on paper and make a story out of it. I have the whole plot planned, and I am kind of excited about how I am going to make this work, since this is such a new couple.

I know you guys probably have a lot of questions, but please be patient, next chapter is almost all in flashback and it would definitely help you understand the story much better. This chapter was just setting the scene for what is yet to come.

I don't know what kind of response to expect from this, but please, please, if you read, please review. They make my day, and make my writing so much more worthwhile. If I don't get feedback I just assume that no one is interested, and that ends my interest in the story as well. And I have great things planned for this story (Clay's mom, return of David, Quinn's family, and of course Clay learning to be a dad). So hang in there, give this is a shot, and leave me some feedback.

With that said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please, **REVIEW!**


	2. Uncertainty and an accident

Chapter 2: Uncertainty and an accident

_Last Chapter:_

"_Just say it god dammit," Clay almost hissed. He knew he looked completely inhumane, but he didn't care. He needed to hear the truth from her, and he needed to hear it now._

_Shaking, Quinn took a deep breath, and looking straight into his eyes repeated the words Clay had said only a couple minutes earlier, "He's your son."_

_And with those 3 words, Clay felt his world crash into pieces all around him._

_

* * *

_**One week later**

"Clay open the door," Nathan shouted as he banged on Clay's beach house door, "Don't even try to pretend you aren't home because your car is here."

Nathan was beyond frustrated with Clay at the moment. Ever since his run in with Quinn on the beach a week ago, Clay had completely shut himself out. He had been ignoring all of Nathan's calls, and avoiding him to the best of his ability. Nathan had tried to be patient with him because he knew he needed time to process the bombshell that was dropped on him a week ago. I mean, he came to Tree Hill thinking that his life was finally getting back on track, and on the very day he arrived, he found a 10 month old son that he had no clue existed. That was enough to blow any guy's mind away.

But he had given him enough time, it had been a miserable week for Quinn, and even Ryan seemed to be suffering. Nathan knew that Clay was angry at him, and he had every right to be. After all, he had been meeting for the past six months, and never bothered to mention the fact that he was a father. Now it was the time to set things straight, and when Nathan Scott put his mind to something, he isn't going to turn away empty handed.

"Clay, you have two choices. You either open the door, or I'll blast it open. And don't think I won't do it, because I will, and you know I can do it," Nathan threatened, praying to whoever was out there that it didn't come down to that.

However, Nathan's threat seemed to have done the trick. A couple of seconds later, Nathan heard quiet shuffling inside the house, and a very aggravated looking Clay opened the door.

"What do you want Nate?" Clay asked tiredly. He was in no mood to talk to him, and he wanted to make sure that Nathan knew that.

"I want to talk to you," Nathan said simply, walking in without asking permission. The inside of the house looked exactly as he had expected it to.

"I am really not in the mood right now," Clay said sharply.

"Someone's planning to become an alcoholic," Nathan said pointing to the numerous wine and beer bottles lying around the place, and completely ignoring Clay's previous statement.

"Nathan this is really not the time," Clay replied sharply with a slight edge to his tone.

"No, this is the time Clay. I gave you a week to process things over—"

"A week? Do you think 7 days is enough to process the fact that I have a 10 month old son? Who I had no idea existed," Clay interrupted furiously.

"Look, I know you're angry, and you have every right to be—"

"I am not just angry Nathan, I am furious. You have been meeting me for six months, _six_ months. And you didn't bother mentioning that I had a son in any of those numerous visits? Nathan, how could you keep something this huge from me?" Clay demanded, his eyes burning black with fury.

"Clay, I know this looks bad, but it wasn't my place to tell you. Trust me, there were so many times when I wanted to just come clean and tell you, but I couldn't. I couldn't betray Quinn's trust like that," Nathan said apologetically.

"Quinn's trust? Seriously, Nathan? What about me? Did you think for a second what would happen when I came back to Tree Hill? Did you think this would have remained a secret for long? The kid looks exactly like me for god's sake," Clay shot back.

"I didn't know you were coming back Clay. I mean, I knew you were thinking about it, but I had no idea that you would show up when you did. You took all of us by surprise, and it all happened so fast that it became almost impossible to warn either you or Quinn beforehand," Nathan tried explaining.

"Well I didn't know I was coming to Tree Hill only to meet such a bombshell, did I?" Clay asked sarcastically, "What would you have done if I had told you I was coming? Would you have told me the truth?"

"No- no, don't interrupt me. I wouldn't have told you the truth because trust me, I wasn't the person you would have wanted to hear it from. But had I known that you were coming in advance, I would have alerted Quinn and she probably would have been a little careful with how she wanted you to find out about Ryan," Nathan said.

"Careful?" Clay asked bitterly, "If you had told Quinn, she would have run away first thing in the morning. She hid the fact that I had a son for almost two years Nathan, did you seriously expect her to come clean to me just because I was moving back?"

"Clay, Quinn never wanted to hide the baby from you. This wasn't some sort of a secret that you were never supposed to find out about. She didn't know where you were. Like I said last week, it was as if you had disappeared from the surface of the Earth. When she found that she was pregnant with Ryan, she did all she could to get in touch with you. She called your secretary, went to your office in Charlotte, and even questioned Ken. But no one had no idea where you were," Nathan explained.

"But she knew that I was in Charlotte for the past six months—"

"Uh, no she didn't," Nathan said slowly, "Quinn had no idea I was meeting you. I didn't tell Haley about you Clay, do you seriously think I would have told Quinn?"

"Wait, so you're saying that Quinn had no idea that you were in touch with me?" Clay asked after a couple of seconds.

"She had no idea," Nathan reaffirmed.

"Why?" Clay asked quietly.

"Why what?" Nathan asked confused.

"Why didn't you tell her you were meeting me? You knew I was the father, why didn't you tell her?" Clay clarified.

"In the beginning, it was because I honestly didn't think you would come back. I mean, you were so hell bent in not having anything to do with me or the ISC, that I thought that telling her about you would cause more problems rather than solving some. I knew that if I told her, she would have tried to contact you, she never wanted to keep Ryan a secret Clay, but I wasn't sure how you would react. I mean you have changed so much Clay—"

"I have been miserable for the past two years, Nathan. Change was bound to happen," Clay interrupted sharply.

"I know, and I don't blame you. But I had to look out for Quinn at the same time. I mean what if she had told you about Ryan, and you walked away, wanting nothing to do with him? You not knowing about Ryan, and not being in his life was one thing, but you knowing and then _choosing_ to not be in his life, that would have been a whole another ball game," Nathan said simply.

"I wouldn't have walked away, Nathan," Clay said quietly, his head spinning with all the new information.

"Like you aren't walking away now?" Nathan asked, "Maybe you're not walking away in the literal sense, but you've been hiding ever since you found about Ryan. You bolted when you realized that he was yours."

"I was stunned, Nathan. I didn't know what to do but run," Clay said helplessly.

"I get that, I do. And Quinn does to. But that doesn't make it any better. You haven't showed your face anywhere for one week, and even though she tries to pretend like it doesn't matter, it is hurting her. She knew that you would go into shock when you found out about Ryan, but she didn't think you would completely cut her out after when you did," Nathan said.

"I haven't cut her out, Nathan. I mean, what do you want me to do? Go and talk to her?" Clay asked incredulously.

"Yes," Nathan said immediately, "You need to go talk to her. Otherwise the only impression you're giving is that you don't want to have anything to do with Ryan. And that might be true, I don't know what's going on in your head right now, but you have to let her know where you stand. You might want to try and become a part of Ryan's life, or you might not want to have anything to do with him. Either way, you need to talk to Quinn so that she knows what to expect from you."

"I can't talk to her, when I myself don't know what I want to do," Clay said putting his head in his hands.

"You've had one week Clay. Whatever decision you want to make, should be clear by now. I mean, you can argue with yourself all you want but after 7 days, the mind is usually made up one way or another," Nathan said seriously.

"This is a life changing decision Nate," Clay said softly.

"One that shouldn't be that hard to make," Nathan said looking straight at Clay, "Not if you are the guy I always thought you were."

"What are—"

"Here are the facts Clay. Ryan is your son, you hear me, he's your son. And nothing you can do can change that. You can turn your back on him, but that doesn't change the fact that you're not his father. So you either accept the responsibility or you don't. And honestly only one of those options should make sense to you," Nathan said firmly.

Clay's head was spinning. He knew Nathan was right. There were no options to consider. Yes, he was scared, but could he forgive himself if he turned his back on his son just because of his insecurities? And more importantly would his son ever forgive him for that?

When Clay didn't say anything for the next minute, Nathan continued, "Listen, hiding here and drowning yourself in alcohol isn't going to help things, it's just going to make matters worse. So get yourself together, and come over for dinner tonight."

"Nathan I—"

"No, hear me out first. You don't have to talk to Quinn, or go anywhere near Ryan if you're not ready. But you need to get out of here, and who knows maybe seeing them would help clear your thoughts. And if you get uncomfortable at any time, you can leave, no questions asked," Nathan said.

"I don't know, Nate," Clay said uncertainly.

"Look, its thanksgiving tonight. You can either choose to spend it here all alone, or you could come over and keep me company. And I promise, Quinn will not approach you until you let her know that you're ready to talk," Nathan said convincingly, "Plus, Haley is cooking, so you can be sure that the food will be good."

"Oh yeah the last one completely got me," Clay said cracking a small smile.

"I knew it would. Not many people can resist Haley's cooking," Nathan said grinning, "So you'll come?"

"I am not sure—"

"Oh come one, man," Nathan groaned at his stubbornness.

"I am not making any promises, but I'll try. And that's the best I can offer you right now," Clay said giving in a little.

"Alright fine. Do whatever you feel is right," Nathan sighed, "But for what it's worth I hope you show up."

"You know for the past week, I have been so angry at Quinn," Clay started suddenly as Nathan turned to leave.

"What?" Nathan asked turning around.

"I thought that she knew that you were meeting me, and intentionally decided to not tell me about uh—"

"Ryan," Nathan finished his sentence.

"Yeah," Clay said running his hand through his hair, "And now you tell me that she didn't know and all my ideas and thoughts are thrown into chaos all over again."

"Well maybe it's time you stop bottling them up, and talk to somebody about them," Nathan said simply, "Anyways I have to go, gotta pick up Jamie from Skill's place."

"Right, of course," Clay said distractedly as he walked with Nathan to the door.

"See you later?" Nathan asked as he stepped out of the door.

"Maybe," Clay said quietly, avoiding Nathan's intense stare.

"Well if I don't see your face for another week, I will more than just threaten to break down your door," Nathan said warningly and with a nod turned around and walked away.

"I'll keep that in mind," Clay said quietly as he closed the door, and walked back to the living room.

He really needed some thinking to do.

--

**4 hours later- 7 o' clock the Scott household**

"Don't you think it's _too_ peaceful right now?" Haley asked as she scooped the mashed potatoes into a dish.

"It is," Quinn agreed, "I don't it's ever been this quiet in this house. Where are Nathan and Natalie?"

"Nathan is taking a shower and Natalie is sleeping," Haley answered, "And Jamie's in his room. But the real question is, where is your little monster?"

"He's with Jamie. They're building the world's tallest block tower," Quinn said laughing.

"Oh god help me if that's true. That's going to make such a mess," Haley groaned.

"They're going to clean it all up, I am sure. Plus, it provides Ryan with a good distraction," Quinn said shrugging.

"Hmm…speaking of distractions, have you heard from Clay?" Haley asked softly.

Quinn's face immediately lost its smile, and Haley saw her stiffen, "No, no I haven't. Ad honestly, I doubt I will be hearing from him any time soon."

"Quinn—"

"No, Haley don't make any more excuses. You didn't see his face when he realized that Ryan was his. He was horrified. I mean I knew that he wouldn't take the news lightly, but I didn't expect him to just disappear either," Quinn said bitterly as her mind flashed back to the incident on the beach a week ago.

_--Flashback—_

"_Just say it god dammit," Clay hissed, his eyes never leaving Ryan's face._

"_He's your son," Quinn said softly, but Clay heard every word, and it was as if a ton of bricks had hit him in the head._

"_I-what-how-um—"_

"_Clay?" Quinn asked concerned as he mumbled incoherent words to himself. She knew that whatever would happen in the next couple of minutes would change her and Ryan's life completely. _

"_This cannot be happening. This really cannot be happening," Clay whispered as he was in some sort of a trance as he backed away from Ryan. _

"_Clay just let me—"_

"_I need to go," Clay mumbled his eyes wide, and skin as while as chalk, and with one last look at Ryan, he turned around and bolted away towards the beach houses._

_--End Flashback—_

She honestly didn't know how she made it back home that day. Her whole body was shaking, and her mind was numb as she replayed Clay's reaction in her head over and over again.

Shaking her head, Quinn tried to get rid of the memory that had been plaguing her for the past 7 days. She knew it would do her no good to dwell on it. Turning towards Haley who was looking at her with a concerned expression, she put up a strong face and said, "But whatever, it's okay. Ryan has been just fine without a father in his life for the past 10 months, and I'll make sure that it remains that way. I am not going to force Clay into anything that he doesn't want to do."

"But what if he does want to be a part of Ryan's life?" Haley asked quietly.

"I don't know. With the way things happened, I haven't really thought of that possibility." Quinn said honestly, "But I seriously doubt that would happen."

"But what if—"

"Haley, can we please stop talking about this? Its thanksgiving and I really don't feel like spending my nigh dwelling on this," Quinn said pleadingly.

"Yeah, of course. Sorry," Haley apologized.

"It's okay," Quinn said smiling slightly, and she finished pouring the salad dressing on the salad.

The sisters worked quietly for a couple of minutes, before the silence in the house was interrupted by the door bell.

"I'll get it," Quinn said wiping her hands on the kitchen towel.

Smiling slightly to herself as she heard Jamie and Ryan's excited voices from upstairs, Quinn quickly made her way to the main door, and opened it. Her smile immediately slipped from her, and her eyes grew wide when she saw who was on the other side.

"Hi," Clay said softly as he shuffled his feet, it was obvious from her shocked face that she wasn't expecting him, "Can I come in? It's kinda cold outside."

"Yeah, yeah, of course. I am sorry, you just took my by surprise," Quinn said hurriedly as she moved out of the way to let him in.

"I can tell," Clay said, "I am guessing Nathan didn't tell you that I might be coming?"

"No, no, he didn't," Quinn said, making a mental note to kill her brother in law when she saw him, "He tends to not tell me things when they come to you."

"Sorry?" Clay asked awkwardly, unsure as to what to say to a statement like that.

"It's not your fault," Quinn said shrugging, looking everywhere but directly at him, "Anyways, Nathan's in the shower, so why don't you just get comfortable in the living room and I'll get Jamie—"

But before Quinn could finish her sentence, a loud crash came from upstairs followed by a horrified scream.

"Ryan," Jamie screamed and Quinn felt her heart stop beating as Clay went completely pale next to her.

"What happened?" Haley asked worriedly as she ran towards the stairs, but Quinn and Clay were already ahead of her. Clay didn't know how it exactly happened, but one minute he was standing next to Quinn in the entrance hallway, and the next he was running up the stairs towards Jamie's room as Ryan's cries got louder. His heart thumped loudly in his chest, and he had never felt more afraid in his life. Maybe it was because he _knew_ that it was his son who was in danger, but this feeling of intense fear and protectiveness was completely new to him.

As they ran into Jamie's room, Quinn felt her eyes widen as she saw her son lying on the floor, crying loudly as blood poured out from his mouth. Not wasting another second, Quinn rushed towards Jamie who was trying to stop the bleeding with his hands, a horrified look on his face.

"Here, its okay. Give him here," Quinn said gently as she took her bleeding son from the terrified 9 year old. Her heart broke as she took a hysterical Ryan in her arms, and she felt like breaking down at the sight of all the blood, but she knew she needed to stay strong because at this moment her son needed her and that's all that mattered.

"Napkins, I need napkins," Quinn choked out as she tried to calm Ryan and stop the bleeding at the same time. Her words brought a stunned Clay out of his trance, as he immediately grabbed a box of Kleenex next to Jamie's bed and quickly walked to where Quinn was holding a struggling Ryan.

Quinn was about to hold out her hand so he could give her the box, but Clay was already one step ahead of her. Kneeling down next to the pair, he quickly ripped out a wad of the napkins and gently placed them on top on Ryan's lip, which was the source of the bleeding.

"Its okay, it's okay," Quinn repeated over and over again as she rocked Ryan in her arms and Clay tried to stop the bleeding.

"Can you bring me some ice?" Clay asked a minute later, turning towards Haley who was watching from the doorway.

"Yeah, sure," Haley nodded as she quickly made her way downstairs to get the ice.

"The bleeding is slowing down," Clay said relieved as the intensity of the bleeding declined, and Ryan started to calm down a little.

"Yeah," Quinn said relieved as she gazed Ryan's pale face, his eyes and nose red from all the crying, and Clay noticed that she was shaking terribly her eyes glazed with tears.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. He's going to be okay, I promise," Clay said softly as he placed his hand on top of hers trying to calm her down. It worked, as he felt both Quinn and Ryan still beneath his hand.

Nodding shakily, Quinn ran her hand through Ryan's sweaty hair. He had stopped crying, but was still whimpering in pain.

"Here's your ice," Haley said breathlessly as she handed a cup full of ice to Clay.

"Thanks," Clay said as he placed the ice next to him. Removing the bloody napkin from Ryan's lips, he wrapped a piece of ice in a clean Kleenex and gently placed it on the swollen lip. Ryan flinched at the sudden contact, but gradually stopped struggling as the cool ice soothed his bruised lip.

"Do you think we need to take him to the hospital?" Quinn asked softly after a couple of seconds as Ryan started to become more aware of his surroundings.

"I don't think that would be necessary. He's calm and the bleeding seems to be under control," Haley said, "But it's you call. If you think taking him to a doctor would make you feel better, then we'll go to the hospital."

"Clay?" Quinn asked turning her attention towards him, her question clear in her voice.

"I think he'll be okay. The bleeding's stopped, and he's completely conscious of his surroundings," Clay said as he lifted the ice cube to show Quinn that there was indeed no bleeding.

"We will need to put some ointment or something on the wound, but other than that he'll be fine, won't you buddy?" Clay said as he softly ran his hand through Ryan's hair, his eyes raking his son's face properly for the first time. Ryan seemed to find the contact with his father's hand pleasing as he shifted a little on Quinn's lap so that now his head was lying partially on Clay's lap as well.

"I am so sorry Aunt Quinn," Jamie said quietly, speaking for the first time.

"Hey, it's okay. He's fine, you're fine, and that's all that matters," Quinn said softly.

"What happened though?" Haley asked curiously, "That crash was so loud."

"We were trying to build the world's biggest block tower, but it kept falling, so I got on my little chair so that I could reach higher, and Ryan wanted to copy me—"

"Jamie, please tell me that you didn't have Ryan stand on your chair," Quinn gasped.

"No, I didn't," Jamie said, "But he crawled over to his rocking bike, and tried to get on it. He couldn't get on it by himself, so I was about to go help him when he lost his balance and fell face first into the blocks."

"Jamie—"

"I know it's my fault. I should have been careful, but—"

"Jamie. It's okay. It wasn't your fault. This could have happened with anyone," Quinn said seriously.

"So you're not mad at me?" Jamie asked softly.

"No, I am not mad at you," Quinn said smiling as Jamie breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, Ryan's going to be okay?" Jamie asked as he looked at his cousin, who was currently playing with the button on Clay's shirt.

"Yes, he'll be fine," Quinn said as she turned her attention back to her son. Her eyes immediately went to his lip, where a large gash was visible, making the lip swell up to two times it size, "You really know how to give Mommy a heart attack huh?"

"Was this the first time he got hurt like this?" Clay asked quietly, speaking for the first time in minutes.

"You mean with the blood and everything?" Quinn asked as Clay nodded, "Yeah, this has got to be a first. But I guess this is just the beginning of all the injuries. Once he starts walking, he'll be all over the place, and no matter how hard I try I won't be able to protect him from everything, and that thought scares me more than anything else in the world. I can't stand the thought of him hurt, I mean I almost had an emotional break down watching him today, I don't know how I am going to handle the more serious stuff."

"I guess you just learn to deal with it, like you did today," Clay noted. His mind was in a complete whirlwind. He had no idea what to make of the last half an hour. The blood, the fear, the connection, the relief, everything was so overwhelming. He never thought one person could have such control over his emotions, but if the past half an hour was any indication, his son had somehow managed to completely capture his heart. Now it was only a matter of admitting it to himself. Clay was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't hear Quinn speaking until he felt Ryan's head being lifted from his lap.

"You said something?" Clay asked looking up to see Quinn lifting Ryan in her arms as she got up from her spot.

"Yeah, I said I was going to get him cleaned up," Quinn said pointing to the blood stains of his clothes and face.

"Right, okay," Clay said as he too got up from his spot, "I better go and clean myself up too."

Nodding quickly, Quinn turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Clay in the room alone.

Once they were gone, Clay sighed for what seemed like the billionth time that day, and made his way to the hallway bathroom to wash off the blood from his hands.

In the bathroom, as he looked at his reflection, he was once again struck by how much Ryan looked like him. He had come here tonight in the hopes of getting some answers, but the past hour had just put his mind into more conflict. He couldn't deny the instant connection he felt when he touched Ryan and the fact that he could love someone so much after just knowing them for ½ an hour terrified him.

Past life experiences had taught him that he was not meant to have any happiness in his life. Every time something good had happened to him, it was cruelly taken away, leaving him completely hurt and broken in its wake. He knew that if he decided to let himself in Ryan's life, it would only be a matter of time before he would become the most important person in his life. Even now, he felt this love and protectiveness over him that he had never felt before. And if for some reason he was taken away from him, Clay didn't think he would be able to survive that.

"You're a natural, you know," Haley said leaning against the bathroom door, as she watched him was his hands.

"At what?" Clay asked, snapping out of reverie as he turned to face Haley.

"At being a dad," Haley said in a 'duh' voice.

"Haley—"

"No, listen to me, Clay. Nathan told me about his conversation with you earlier, and from what I could tell, you're scared to death of letting someone in your life in such a big way. But that's natural. Having a human being completely be dependent on you is a huge responsibility, but trust me, it's worth it. After you ran away that day on the beach I didn't know if you were "father material", but today you showed me just how wrong I was. The way you handled the situation, the way you calmed Quinn down, not everyone would have been able to do that. I saw your face when you saw Ryan lying there, you were terrified, but you can through, and that's what parenting is all about. I know you're angry for being kept in the dark for so long, and you have every right to be, but you can either chose to live your life with resentment for the past or you could move on, and look forward to all the moments that you will get to experience," Haley said passionately, "Ryan is a great kid, Clay. You don't want to miss out on more than your already have or you will regret it for the rest of your life."

And with that, she turned around and walked away leaving Clay to gape at her back. How she had known his fears, he would never know, but for the first time in the past week, he finally had some answers.

--

**30 minutes later**

"How is he?" Clay asked immediately, as he saw Quinn come downstairs. She had changed her shirt and looked completely exhausted.

"He's okay. I put some antibiotic on his lip, and he's sleeping now," Quinn said.

"Good. That's good," Clay said relieved.

"Yeah, it is," Quinn said awkwardly. She wanted to thank him for what he did, but she had no idea how to do it. However, she was saved from the uncomfortable silence when Haley called them for dinner.

"Hey, I heard about the accident," Nathan said as they walked into the dining room, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," Quinn replied, "He's sleeping now, the crying completely exhausted him."

"You sure he doesn't need to see a doctor?" Nathan asked concernedly.

"No, the cut isn't that deep. I mean with the way it was bleeding, you would have thought that the whole lip was cut open, but it wasn't that bad," Quinn said running a hand through her hair.

"What a perfect way to celebrate Thanksgiving huh?" Haley said shaking her head.

"Well, in a way it is. This accident really gives me something to be thankful for- my son's life."

"And there's the Quinn we know and love. Seeing the good in the worst of situations," Haley joked trying to lighten the mood.

It worked, and soon everyone was engaged in small talk as they devoured the delicious Thanksgiving feast Haley had prepared.

--

"What are you doing out here?" Clay asked as he walked out to the patio where Quinn was standing. Dinner had ended an hour ago, and he was just about to leave when he saw Quinn standing outside, and after everything that happened tonight, he just wanted to make sure that she was alright.

"Just thinking," Quinn said softly and Clay could tell by her voice that she had been crying.

"About what happened today?" Clay asked even though he already knew the answer.

"That and a lot of other things," Quinn said shrugging, as she tried to wipe away her tears.

"He's going to be just fine, you know?" Clay asked trying to reassure her, "He's a fighter, and he's so brave."

"Yeah, I guess he gets that his dad," Quinn said smiling slightly.

"I don't know about that," Clay said slowly, "His mom's pretty brave too."

"Yeah right," Quinn said scoffing, "Did you not see me today, I was _this_ close to completely breaking down."

"But you didn't. You knew that Ryan needed you, and even though you couldn't think straight, you held yourself together. If that is not being brave then I don't know what is," Clay said seriously.

They stood in silence for a couple of minutes, before Clay decided to break it again, "You're a great mom, you know. Ryan's lucky to have you."

"Thanks," Quinn said quietly, "That means a lot. And before I lose my nerve, I want to thank you for being there today."

"Quinn, you don't have to—"

"Yes, I do. You had no obligation to do what you did today, but you did it anyways. You helped me get through one of the scariest moments of my life, and I want you to know how much it meant to both me and Ryan. So, thank you," Quinn said softly, and giving his a quick hug, she turned around and quickly went inside, leaving Clay alone for the second time that night.

* * *

**A/N**: Wow that was ridiculously long. I don't know how I feel about this chapter, but it's 6 in the morning my time, so whether it's crap or a masterpiece it will have to do just the way it is. This chapter was ridiculously hard for me to write, especially the accident scene, and I seriously doubt I did justice to it. But I hope you guys got the gist of where I was going with it, and I really, really hope you liked it.

I know Clay's character seems to be a little OOC in this story, but that's because he is a different guy here than he is in the show, He's suffered a lot in this story, and that has caused his character to be withdrawn and conflicted. However, if you guys have any observations, questions, or comments about this, please let me know, and always feel free to offer suggestions because I try to incorporate them in my writing as much as I could.

Next, thank you so, so much for all the reviews! 16 reviews, you guys have set such a high bar just from the first chapter, and it is the only reason why I posted this chapter so fast. I have the next couple of chapters planned for this story, and right now I am going through this phase where I just want to write. So you might want to take advantage of that, because if the review rate remains consistent you will get a new chapter within 2-3 days, since I am very invested in this story right now.

Also, as a warning, just because Clay seemed to have made an instant connection with Ryan doesn't mean he's going to accept it. He has a lot of demons in his past that needs to face, and that will cause conflict in his relationship with both Quinn & his son. So no happy ending just yet, but don't worry, Clay won't be able to deny Ryan for much longer.

With that said, I hope you liked my ridiculously long and complicated chapter, and please, please, **REVIEW!** Because the more reviews I get, the faster update you'll get. It's a win-win situation for everybody =)


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